For more than 22 years, I have traveled Route 66 with a camera, documenting the people, places, landmarks, and unexpected moments that continue to give the Mother Road its character and soul.
Across more than 40 journeys, this work has grown into a deeply personal record of a living road and the people who continue to carry it forward.
My photography has been featured by the United States Postal Service, Google, PBS, museums, publications, and cultural organizations. At the heart of it all is a simple purpose: to preserve the stories of Route 66 while inspiring others to experience the road for themselves.
Meet DavidOne of the most exciting moments of my ongoing Route 66 journey came when several of my photographs were selected for the official USPS Route 66 Centennial Forever Stamps.
It means more to me than I can easily express knowing these images will travel across America, arriving in homes and mailboxes from coast to coast. My hope is that they become more than postage. I hope they inspire people to get out, experience Route 66 for themselves, and discover the places and people that continue to keep the Mother Road alive.
The Centennial Collection transforms those photographs into museum-quality Route 66 art, commemorative pieces, and collectible keepsakes that celebrate one of America’s most iconic highways.
Explore the collection of Route 66 art, including limited edition fine art prints, open edition fine art prints, the Route 66 Centennial commemorative art print, the Route 66 Centennial postcard collection, and a signed USPS stamp pane presentation.
Whether you are discovering the project for the first time, looking for the stories behind the stamps, or choosing a piece for your collection, this is the best place to begin.
Route 66 Centennial Commemorative Art Print
Explore the photographs, stories, fine art prints, postcards, commemorative pieces, and signed stamp pane presentation.
The people of Route 66 are my people. Over the years, the road has introduced me not only to unforgettable places, but to the men and women who keep them alive through grit, generosity, humor, memory, and deep devotion.
This growing series is about the human soul of the Mother Road. These are the owners, caretakers, dreamers, preservationists, and everyday believers who continue writing Route 66 in the present tense.
Their stories have shaped my experience of the road and, in many ways, shaped the photographs themselves.
Stories carried forward by real people
Portraits and stories from the people who continue to keep Route 66 alive.
Route 66 is not history viewed from behind a velvet rope or encased in glass. It is a living road that people can still step into, experience for themselves, and become part of.
Through my photography and storytelling, I share that experience with others and inspire them to take the journey for themselves.
The Mother Road nurtures those who take the time to experience it.
"Route 66 is not history viewed from behind a velvet rope or encased in glass. It is a living road that people can still step into, experience for themselves, and become part of."
A guiding philosophy behind David J. Schwartz's Route 66 photography and storytelling.
Explore Route 66 art and fine art photography created along the Mother Road. These museum quality prints celebrate the landmarks, landscapes, neon signs, roadside businesses, and people that continue to give Route 66 its character and soul. Choose a state to begin exploring the collection.
A few times each week, the doors to my Lakewood studio are open. Stop by to explore Route 66 photography, see the work behind the USPS Route 66 Centennial Stamps, browse prints and maps, and experience a working photography studio in person.
Studio Welcome Times change from week to week. Check the current schedule before stopping by, or join the list to be notified when new times are announced.
David Schwartz Photography
17010 Madison Ave.
Lakewood, Ohio 44107
A restored reproduction of the original 1926 Route 66 map. Available as a large format display piece or a smaller take along for your travels. Mount yourself display options are also available.
Designed for museums, cultural institutions, cities and states, and hospitality spaces. If you are planning Centennial programming, a gallery installation, or a destination experience, let's talk about the right format for your space.
Modular exhibitions and talks that scale from a focused local presentation to a full route experience.
Centennial ready collaborations for tourism, placemaking, community pride, and public cultural programming.
Elevated Route 66 artwork for hotels, lobbies, corridors, suites, and destination spaces that want a sense of place.
Work currently on view along Route 66, with additional Centennial exhibitions in development. Installations range from destination businesses to museum scale collaborations.
See Exhibitions and TalksEditorial and brand storytelling aligned with Route 66. If you need images for a feature, campaign, publication, or television coverage, start here and tell me what you are building.
I am developing a museum quality coffee table book rooted in decades of work along Route 66. If you are a publisher, editor, or book designer interested in collaborating, I would love to connect.
Have a story to share, a project in mind, or a place you think I should see? I would love to hear from you.
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This means you can use the camera on your phone or tablet and superimpose any piece of art onto a wall inside of your home or business.
To use this feature, Just look for the "Live Preview AR" button when viewing any piece of art on this website!
This means you can use the camera on your phone or tablet and superimpose any piece of art onto a wall inside of your home or business.
To use this feature, Just look for the "Live Preview AR" button when viewing any piece of art on this website!
Follow my Route 66 photography through new work, stories from the road, exhibitions, and special releases.
As a thank you for signing up, you’ll also be entered to win a signed, professionally matted Route 66 Centennial stamp pane.
I’ve been photographing Route 66 for more than two decades, following where the road leads and the people it puts in my path. This newsletter is where I share that work as it unfolds, from photographs and roadside stories to exhibitions, travels, and moments along the Mother Road that do not always make it into print.
A subscriber is selected on an ongoing basis to receive a signed, professionally matted presentation of the official USPS Route 66 Centennial stamp pane.
I ask for your ZIP Code because it helps me understand where this work is connecting and may help shape future exhibitions, talks, and Route 66 visits.
